Texas authorities seized a cache of 30 handguns — including one capable of piercing body armor — hidden inside a truck’s spare tire at the Anzalduas International Bridge as the vehicle attempted to cross into Mexico last week.
The December 3 operation led to the arrest of two men after DPS Special Agents discovered the weapons along with 60 magazines and a speed loader during an outbound vehicle inspection at the Mission, Texas port of entry. One of the seized firearms had been reported stolen from Austin.
Luis E. Torres Mujica, 30, a resident of Guanajuato, Mexico, and Jesse Joe Camacho, 28, of McAllen, Texas, now face serious charges. Both men were booked into Hidalgo County Jail for theft of property and firearm smuggling — a second-degree felony in Texas — after authorities determined the weapons were destined for Guanajuato, Mexico.
Hidden Arsenal Included Body Armor-Piercing Weapon
What made this seizure particularly concerning to authorities? Among the cache was a 5.7 caliber FN Herstal handgun, a weapon specifically designed with ammunition capable of penetrating body armor — a chilling reminder of the increasingly sophisticated weaponry flowing southward across the border.
“During the inspection, Special Agents discovered 30 handguns – including a 5.7 caliber FN Herstal – 60 magazines and one speed loader concealed inside the vehicle’s spare tire,” according to an official statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety. “Special Agents later discovered that one handgun was reported stolen out of Austin.”
The men were traveling in a 2015 Chevy Silverado pickup when they were stopped as part of routine outbound inspections. Such checkpoints have become a critical component in stemming the flow of weapons from the United States into Mexico, where they often fuel cartel violence.
Part of Broader Border Security Initiative
The seizure was conducted as part of Operation Lone Star (OLS), a multi-agency effort involving the Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The operation specifically targets smuggling activities along the Texas-Mexico border, including drug and weapon trafficking.
Since its launch, Operation Lone Star has produced significant results. Authorities have apprehended more than 225,000 migrants and made over 13,027 criminal arrests, resulting in more than 10,400 felony charges. The initiative has also led to the seizure of over 3,500 weapons and almost $30 million in currency.
Border security experts note that southbound weapon smuggling operations represent a persistent challenge for law enforcement, as firearms legally purchased in the United States often make their way into Mexico where they command premium prices on the black market.
The Anzalduas International Bridge, where this seizure took place, has become a known corridor for both northbound drug trafficking and southbound weapons smuggling — a troubling symmetry that highlights the complex nature of cross-border criminal enterprises.
For residents of border communities like Mission, Texas, such seizures offer a glimpse into the shadowy networks operating in plain sight, using ordinary vehicles and seemingly ordinary people to move deadly contraband across international boundaries.
Authorities have not yet released information about potential cartel connections in this case, though the destination of Guanajuato — a state that has seen escalating violence between competing criminal organizations — raises questions about who might have been waiting for this particular shipment of firepower.
